Bay Area homes must now use cleaner furnaces and water heaters

US environmental regulators are moving to approve new rules for natural gas furnaces and water heaters in California's Bay Area. This means homes and businesses in the region will need to install models that produce less air pollution.

Local air quality districts often set the pace for new environmental rules, which then spread to other regions. This approval means the Bay Area can enforce stricter limits on a common source of nitrogen oxide pollution. It also shows how federal regulators can enable local efforts to improve air quality, even for everyday household appliances.